


And The Sad Thing Is

by NothingxRemains



Series: Trying to Rewind [2]
Category: Undertale (Video Game)
Genre: Angst, Canon Temporary Character Death, Canon-Typical Violence, Character Analysis, Character Development, Character Study, Cinnamon Roll Papyrus, Gender-Neutral Frisk, Hurt/Comfort, Mental Instability, POV Frisk, Panic Attacks, References to Undertale Genocide Route, Temporary Character Death, Undertale Neutral Route, Undertale Pacifist Route
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2016-11-22
Updated: 2016-11-22
Packaged: 2018-08-29 15:36:03
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Major Character Death
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,637
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/8495725
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/NothingxRemains/pseuds/NothingxRemains
Summary: "And the sad thing is we're all in on the action.
  
  We're all holding our breath, waiting for a reaction
  
  You play your part,
  
  I'll be playing with matches
  And if you'd like a show, you can follow the ashes." --(Main Focus is Frisk and Undyne.)





	

**Author's Note:**

> Title and summary are from "Icon For Hire - Theatre." Most if not the entire series will probably be based on their album Scripted, mostly because it inspires me / puts me in the mood to write this stuff. (Chapter name from Off With Her Head.)
> 
> Follows the same style as the first one. Any events mentioned in the last one involving specific characters are incorporated into this one. I'm not exactly sure where this entire first chapter came from?? The main focus is the second chapter which was supposed to be the only chapter ¯\\_(ツ)_/¯ I was gonna wait til I finished all of it in one chapter but I figured it might take a little longer than I'd like so here's this.

_“Get back here, punk!”_

_Frisk ran as fast as their legs would carry them, longer now but not long enough, lungs gasping for relief as they fled from Undyne like their life depended on it._

_Because it did._

_They were whittled down to two health, out of consumables to keep them going just a little longer, just a little more. They had done this so many times already, but terror still gripped them hard, tendrils of hate curling around their heart. So many times,_ so _many times, relentlessly, she struck them down._

_“Please, please, please don’t. Please,” they begged as she shoved them down again, caught them in her net of green magic. A spear manifested in their hand as it always did, their soul’s reaction to her magic in an effort to protect itself. Their hands shook hard, and they couldn’t crawl to their feet, implored her for mercy from their knees, tears pouring out their eyes and blurring the world around them as Undyne stared them down without mercy._

\--

The first time they faced down Undyne, they had already died a few times. Once, from Toriel, a few times from stray monsters here and there that caught them low on health and without any healing items. They’d never quite gotten past Papyrus, he’d always lead them to the shed to let them rest after taking them down to their last leg, declaring victory and patiently stating he would wait until they were ready to try again. Of course if they couldn’t win after a few more tries he would let them go anyway.

Papyrus; Frisk loved Papyrus. They understood easily why Sans coveted him so much. They tried not to linger too long, knowing the hurt that would come when they eventually had to reset (they never save or reset anywhere but at Toriel’s house after that first time) from death and be a stranger once more to their great friend. So they never spent more than a week with him.

The first time they made it all the way to the end of his fight they jumped for joy and offered to be Papyrus’ friend with enthusiasm, stuck around a couple days after being upgraded from the shed to the couch, and went on a “date” with Papyrus to celebrate (they couldn’t stop giggling, trying their best to look solemn and heartbroken when he rejected them). The desire to save had been a tempting one, but they thought of their mom’s face, of not getting to see her and being wrapped in her loving embrace to comfort them every time they died—not that she knew that, they always let her assume it was a nightmare.

 

So it was three days after winning against Papyrus that they trekked on into Waterfall, weighed down with bisicles from the shop and a mandana fastened around their neck. After so much time in Snowdin the change in Waterfall made their skin clammy and uncomfortably warm, but they did their best to ignore it as they spoke cheerily with everyone, said thanks but turned down Sans attempt to escape work again. They dived out of the way of a falling rock and tumbled through the water into a small chamber, landing on the ground a few feet from what looked like part of a ballerina outfit. It was a little old and musty but still cute so they folded it carefully and tucked it into their bag, trekked away with waterlogged shoes and soggy clothes.

They loved a lot of things about waterfall. They loved the echo flowers; they stuck their face in every echo flower they could reach, stroking the soft petals and giving them silly or nice things to repeat, listened quietly when it already had something thoughtful to say. They loved the way the water glowed and the bridge seeds bloomed, the way the mushrooms squeaked and the crystals twinkled on the high ceiling.

They thought of these things when they hid in the grass, waiting for the fearsome Captain to leave. They weren’t afraid of her, they told themself, they were just being smart. She was the _captain of the royal guard_ , stronger than even Papyrus, obviously she was a force to be reckoned with.

 _You just keep telling yourself that_ , a little voice whispered condescendingly in the back of their mind.

\--

The first time Undyne killed them, they didn’t even see her. A flurry of spears rained from above, slicing their legs, nicking their arms, narrowly missing them. They were so busy trying to keep their feet under them in the sudden onslaught they didn’t realize their health was dropping until a spear pinned them down, sinking into the meat of their shoulder and nailing them to the bridge. Blood welled into their mouth and pooled onto the plank beneath their cheek, wet and warm. _Must have hit a lung. I wonder if she hit the heart_. And then the world went dark.

They woke up in a cold sweat, collapsed in the leaves outside their house. They crawled shakily to their feet, already knowing it was early morning again, four days ago. They didn’t realize they were making any noise, not sure how long they wandered until Toriel found them, gaze full of concern, searching them for injuries where they lingered in front of the banister looking lost, eyes watering and making small hiccupping sounds in their chest, hands clutching the front of their pajama shirt where phantom pain still lingered. She ran her eyes and paws over them several times, magic searching their skin for something to heal, not seeming to realize they were fine until they spoke.

“M.. mama…”

“Oh my child,” she exclaimed worriedly, scooping them up into her arms gently and carrying them back to her arm chair. She attempted to set them down but they refused to let go, gripping her dress and shaking their head vigorously. She relented easily and sat down with them curled up in her lap, making soothing noises low in her throat and petting their hair gently. They’re not usually this bad after they come back, having adjusted to it after the first couple times so they were only a little shaken up. Then again, it was usually a fair fight, their health slowly being chipped away so they had time to brace themself—not like that, violent and all at once. They can still feel the blood dripping down their cheek, hear the sound of the blade penetrating their flesh like wet tissue paper. _Well yeah, it only happened like five minutes ago._

“Are you alright now, my child?” Toriel asks eventually, once they’ve stopped shaking and making miserable little noises. They nod slowly. “Perhaps you will feel better after some pie and hot tea. Would you like that?” They nod again, reluctant to leave her embrace but knowing she’s right. They relinquish their grip on her and allow her to settle them into the arm chair, brushing their bangs aside and kissing their forehead before going into the kitchen with one last glance over her shoulder.

They’re not sure how long they sit there tucked into the cushions, the sound of the blade landing as they dropped like a dead weight replaying over and over in their mind. Distantly they were surprised at not having felt more pain from the impact.

They jerked hard when they felt a paw on their shoulder, looking up at Toriel and realizing she must have been talking, calling their name or something. She gave them a small smile and they mirrored it almost on reflex, shuffling to their feet to follow her to the table a few feet away.

\--

They stayed in the Ruins for the day. Laid down under the tree and watched leaves fall off its branches. Wandered a little ways away to see if Napstablook was there and say hi to him, coaxed a few Whimsums close enough to pet—they had to pet the air around them without actually touching them, earning small and shaky but earnest smiles and a few gold. They went and found a few migosps to remind themself what confidence was, played with a few froggits and vegetoids to remember that monsters were nice and good. Visited the spiders at the spider bake sale and donated what they’d earned on their way there to the cause. Went home and gave Toriel a hug, laid down in the middle of the living room floor and just breathed in the smell of flowers throughout the house and the dinner Toriel was cooking, listened to the lullaby she hummed and the soothing crackle of the fire in the hearth. Tomorrow, they would go. They’d get up early like they always did and pack a piece of pie and some gold in the little satchel Toriel made them upon request, pick up their stick where it rested against the clothes hutch next to the bed, take their time tying the little ribbon in their hair to feel cute and slide the small plastic knife they found into their back pocket, just in case.

They ended up staying one more day; couldn’t resist Toriel’s earnest expression, stared down the stairs from the top step and felt apprehension settle heavy in their mind. _Yeah, I’m not exactly in a hurry to die again_. They stayed with Toriel for most of the day, helped her look for snails and interacted with every monster they came across, sang bits of songs they remembered from their few years on the surface, which wasn’t much. Followed her on her daily walk to the end of the cavern, grabbed a piece of candy for each of them.

They lay in bed that night and knew that the longer they stayed the harder it would be to leave.

**Author's Note:**

> I have a lot of ideas for more pieces to add to this series but I don't know how many of them I'll actually do. I actually have an idea for an overarching plot. Its a little out there, yknow, involves theories about things like Gaster and souls and all that nonsense but I might do it. Guess it depends on how people respond to the first few pieces? Kudos and input are deeply appreciated!


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